


The Complicated Relationship Between Mai and Touch

by simranwrites



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Related, Friendship, Gen, I love them ok, Mai (Avatar)-Centric, Mai and touch, Touch-Starved, touch starved Mai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:40:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26415055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simranwrites/pseuds/simranwrites
Summary: Just a drabble showing how Mai feels about touch through various points in her life.
Relationships: Mai & Tom-Tom (Avatar), Mai & Ty Lee & Zuko, Mai & Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	The Complicated Relationship Between Mai and Touch

Mai never really cared for touch, or she never felt she needed it. To her, touch was a sign of weakness, never to be seen in public or in private. At least, that's what father told her the first time she had asked for a goodnight hug from him. And so, she believed that, because her dad told her that, and he could never be wrong. Could he?

But then, she made two friends, and she thought that they were her best friends in the entire world. They always hung out together and if Mai was being totally honest, she would do anything for them, not that they knew that of course. But the first time Ty Lee hugged her, Mai almost cried, it had just felt so good. But of course, it ended quickly, leaving Mai to worry if she was weak just like her father said.

But then, Tom-Tom came into the world, with his wide eyes and bright smile. And every time he saw Mai, he would always crawl over and sit right on her, before trying to hug her the best he could. And every time, Mai couldn’t tell him what her father told him. She wouldn’t. She never wanted him to feel the same way she did, whenever she saw parents hugging their kids, or friends immediately jumping on one another. And so, she kept her mouth shut and tried to smile when Tom-Tom hugged her and babbled animatedly, trying to hide her own pain from coming out.

But then, Zuko got injured and she had to stop herself from running into the room and hugging him and making sure he was okay. But when he opened his own arms for a hug, Mai couldn’t find it in herself to care about her supposed weakness.

It took time for everything to go back to normal, or as normal as it could ever be, and even more time for Mai to truly realize that touch didn’t mean weakness, that it meant love.

And now, with all her friends surrounding her, Ty Lee with her arm thrown around Mai’s shoulders, Zuko resting his head in her lap, she smiles, a true genuine smile, as she pulls Ty Lee closer and places an arm on Zuko’s chest. So maybe Mai didn’t need touch, she damn well wanted it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this!! I hope you liked it!!
> 
> Come scream with me about them on my tumblr and twitter: @junesbiceps


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